Patti Smith Reveals the Daughter She Placed for Adoption Helped Uncover the Truth About Her Biological Father (Exclusive)

Patti Smith Reveals Family Secrets in New Memoir

Music legend Patti Smith shares previously undisclosed family stories in her much-anticipated memoir, Bread of Angels. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, she discusses the book’s creation and why she chose to reveal these truths now.

Background on Patti Smith’s Memoirs

Patti Smith, known as the godmother of punk and acclaimed for her debut album Horses in the 1970s, had never planned to write another memoir after her National Book Award-winning Just Kids published in 2010. That memoir was written partly as a tribute to her close friend Robert Mapplethorpe, who asked her to write it hours before he passed away.

“I wrote [Just Kids] for Robert [Mapplethorpe] because he asked me to, just hours before he died. And I labored on that book for a long time, and did learn how to write a book such as that, but I hadn't planned to write another,” Smith told PEOPLE.

Inspiration for Bread of Angels

Smith’s motivation for writing this new memoir came from a vivid dream she had a decade ago. In the dream, she received a package containing a white book tied with a white ribbon and filled with photographs of dresses she had owned throughout her life.

“My wedding dress, the dress that Robert gave me, the white dress my brother gave me that's on the cover of Wave. They were all attached to stories about my life, and it was such a beautiful book, and when I woke up, my hands were extended,” she shared.

Editor Note

Colleen Kratofil is the Senior Editor for TV at PEOPLE.

Author’s Summary

Patti Smith’s new memoir reveals intimate family secrets inspired by a dream, continuing her legacy as both a music icon and remarkable storyteller.

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People.com People.com — 2025-11-05

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